


Hope Vs. Werewolf

by Arctic_comet



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-10 23:23:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10449870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arctic_comet/pseuds/Arctic_comet
Summary: After her father meets a strange wolf in the forest, Auror Nymphadora Tonks decides to investigate, and ends up getting far more than she bargained for. Mild sexual content, violence and cursing.I don’t own any of the Harry Potter characters or the original story of The Beauty and the Beast. I’m just borrowing them for my (and your) amusement and not making any money out of this! No copyright infringement is intended.Originally written for the 2016 Interhouse Fest @ Livejournal. Thank you to Jasmine, my wonderful beta :)





	1. Part I

**Part I**

 

 

Remus had always hated Divination as a school subject, and of course their best hope of breaking the curse cast upon him and his friends required the use of a crystal ball. Sighing, he took a look at the foggy image now showing up in the sphere. A plump, kind-looking man sitting at a kitchen table, reading a letter from his daughter. Somehow the man looked familiar, but he couldn’t place where they might have met.  
  
He didn’t pay much attention to the words on the parchment, but beside the letter lay a photograph of a young woman. Her pink hair certainly caught his attention, but what truly got his heart pounding was the fact that she was wearing Auror’s robes. Not that he thought there was much of a chance of anyobody breaking the curse, but at least an Auror would probably be less frightened than the other women he’d encountered in the last five years. Sirius woke up from his slumber in the corner of the room and placed his paws on the small table. Padfoot’s tail began to wag at the sight of the girl, and he let out an excited bark.  
  
 _That’s my cousin’s daughter! And She’s perfect, an Auror won’t chicken out like the other ones did!_  
  
“I know.” murmured Remus, although he was not nearly as optimistic as Sirius. Nevertheless, he had to try. His friends deserved to be free.  
  
“Wait, what do you mean that she’s your cousin’s daughter?”  
  
 _Yeah, remember Andromeda? She was disowned by the family and married that Muggle-born you’re looking at._  
  
“Right, now I remember.” And he did. Andromeda and Sirius had been quite friendly when they were all younger, and her decision to rebel against the noble house of Black had effectively made her Sirius’s favourite relative.  
  
Sirius barked again when the crystal ball showed Ted Tonks leave his house and head out of the village, towards them.  
  
 _Let’s go and get him, Remus, then we can make him call his daughter here._  
  
“I don’t want to kidnap anyone, Sirius! How many times do I have to tell you that? It hasn’t worked before, and it won’t work now!” Raved Remus, directing his attention on his canine companion.  
  
The large, scruffy mutt whined and barked in answer.  
 __  
A woman needs to fall for you, and we’re almost out of time, Moony. It’s been nearly five years since I’ve been able to talk to anyone else but you, do you have any idea how that feels? If this fails, I’ll be a dog for the rest of my life!  
  
“Yes, I am aware that we need a woman here to break the curse. And yes, I am aware of how little time we have left. Nevertheless, I would still prefer not resorting to kidnapping. If you want this woman to take a liking to me, I don’t think scaring her is the way to go. You remember that redhead you dragged in two years ago? She was too scared to speak, so we never even found out her name! Or that innkeeper’s daughter, remember her? She locked herself into her room and smacked you with a candlestick when you stuck your head inside.”  
  
Another bark followed, and the dog cocked its head. Yeah, yeah… How about we scare the man, make sure he realises you’re not a regular wolf, and then trust that the girl’s curious enough to come and investigate? And if that doesn’t work, then we can try the kidnapping again.  
  
Remus swallowed. He wasn’t all that fond of Sirius’s new suggestion either, but it was better than kidnapping an innocent man, and then his daughter. It might work in this particular case, but it was still a risky plan. He let out a sigh.  
  
“Fine, Padfoot, you win. We’ll do it. Today.”  
  


***

  
  
Ted Tonks’s day was shaping up to be a good one. His beloved daughter, Dora, would be in soon for her weekly dinner with her parents. As much as he loved the quiet nights alone with a book or a nice Muggle TV show, Dora’s visits were the highlights of his weeks. Bright, quick-witted and funny, Dora’s stories of her adventures with the other Aurors offered Ted an endless source of entertainment. His late wife would have been worried about her safety, but he knew what Dora was made of.  
  
Whistling a nameless tune he’d heard on the wireless earlier that day, he strolled through the forest after picking a basketful of blueberries. The work had left him slightly out of breath and his back ached, but the berries would make for a lovely dessert. He wasn’t much of a cook, and neither was Dora, but his household spells were just enough to whip up some cream to go with the fresh blueberries.  
  
Consumed by his thoughts of the lovely roast he had waiting for them at home; it took him too long to notice that the forest around him had gone entirely quiet. It was as if even the air had stopped moving. He stopped to look around, dread slowly filling him and making his legs feel like jelly. There was something out there. Slowly, he set the basket on the ground and dug out his wand. He had heard of strange things happening in this forest, but had never seen anything with his own eyes, and even the stories he’d heard were vague.  
  
The leaves of a nearby bush began to rustle. Ted swallowed. He preferred facing any beasts head on, as he knew that he was too slow to escape anything by running.  
  
A large, black dog came out of the bush and stopped to stand right in front of Ted. It turned its dark eyes on him and revealed its sharp teeth.  
  
“Stu- stupe-“ stuttered Ted, trying to back away from the dog, but the animal jumped at him before he managed to get the spell out.  
  
Ted shoved at the dog in vain and tried to stick his wand into its eye, but it dodged and growled at him. Its saliva spilled onto Ted’s cloak. Why hadn’t it already sunk its teeth into his throat?  
  
It was only then that he took notice of a new sound. There was another animal here. Turning his head, he caught glimpse of a larger canine form between the trees next to the path he was currently lying on. This one was no dog, and it was staring straight back at him.  
Ted’s first thought was that the dog had simply been waiting for his friend before eating him. Maybe the wolf was the leader of the pack, and would get to eat his fill first. However, the wolf made no move to advance on him. After staring at Ted for a time that felt like minutes at the very least, the wolf turned its back on him and whined, showing its tufted tail in the process. The dog, whose front paws were still pinning Ted to the ground, barked in response to the whine and the pressure on Ted’s chest eased. Before he had a chance to catch his breath properly, he was alone again. The animals had left just as swiftly as they’d initially shown up. With a shaky hand, he reached for his basket, and continued his way home as fast as his feet could carry him.  
  


***

  
  
Nymphadora Tonks was surprised not to find her father at his house. He’d known she was coming for dinner and should have been home by now. There were no traces of struggle or dark magic, but she was unable to stay put and wait, so she headed out to look for him.  
The village main street was mostly empty, but naturally the only people around were her least favourite colleague and his sidekick Pete. Sighing, she prepared herself for the encounter. She didn’t know which one of them she disliked more; Dawlish, his leering and continued demands that she date him or his short squeaky-voiced companion who always managed to make her skin crawl when she felt his eyes on her.  
  
“Dora, there you are! I was just on my way to the pub, care to join? I’ll buy you a drink,” cooed Dawlish. _How many times would she have to reject him until he took a hint?_  
  
“No, thanks, Dawlish. And I know it’s useless, but I’m going to say this once more: stop calling me that.”  
  
“I can’t call such a pretty girl by her last name! Especially if you still won’t call me John!” He flirted, eliciting a snort from her.  
  
“Then don’t call me anything at all!” She yelled, rolling her eyes.  
  
“Come on, Dora, loosen up a bit.”  
  
“We’re not in the office now, and I happen to be busy,” she replied, taking off on a jog toward the other end of the village.  
  
No matter where she went, there was no sign of her father. Deciding to return to his house, she took a detour to avoid Dawlish and Pete.  
  
She reached her father’s house, but before she had time to go inside, she saw a familiar figure hunched on the street a few houses away.  
  
“Dad?”  
  
“Dora,” her father panted.  
  
”Dad, what happened to you?” She asked. His face was red and he was so out of breath he could barely get out a word. Supporting him, she managed to get him into his house and seated on the sofa.  
  
He took a deep breath and tried to say something, but instead broke into a cough.  
  
“I’ll get you some water,” she said, summoning a glass and water from the kitchen. Half of it spilled onto the floor on the way, but half a glass was still better than nothing.  
  
Ted downed the water and the coughs subsided.  
  
“I was attacked,” he croaked, grasping his daughter's arms.  
  
“What? Where? By whom?”  
  
“In the forest. There was a dog, and a wolf. Or at least I think it was a wolf. There was something odd about that wolf though…”  
  
“Start at the beginning, Dad,” she coaxed, sinking onto the sofa next to her father. Dinner would have to wait.  
  


***

  
  
“Was there anything else about the wolf that seemed strange to you?” She asked, after listening to her father’s story in its entirety.  
  
“Other than that it had blue eyes and instead of attacking me, it just stared?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“I’m not sure, love. You know I’m hardly an expert when it comes to animals. What do you think it is?”  
  
She shrugged.  
  
“It could be an Animagus, I suppose. Either way, scaring people like that is not all right. I’m going to go out there and see if I can find out more.”  
  
“Dora, are you sure it’s a good idea? It’s getting dark outside…”  
  
“I can handle this, Dad, you know that. I’ll be back before you know it,” she reassured him, giving his hand a squeeze.  
  
“What if you’re not? When should I alert the Ministry?”  
  
She hesitated.  
  
“If I don’t come back, talk to Mad-Eye in the morning. But I will be back tonight, Dad.”  
  
She knew what some of the villagers thought about her father; that he was an odd Muggle-born widower with an even odder daughter. Nevertheless, she trusted his judgment enough to know that there was reason to investigate. Glad she’d brought her winter cloak, she stepped out of her childhood home and closed the door behind her.  
  
As she began making her way toward the forest, she briefly wondered if she was making a mistake in not alerting Mad-Eye. It just seemed silly to call upon her mentor every time something even slightly suspicious took place. She could handle the initial recon herself, and then talk to him if further action was needed. Eventually she’d have to learn to work on her own anyway and to rely on her own judgment, so she might as well start tonight.  
  


***

  
  
The part of the forest where her father had encountered the two animals was thick, and barely any light seeped in through the trees. She didn’t particularly like using the light on her wand, but it was better than walking around blind and possibly tripping on something and falling, which was not an unlikely outcome for her.  
  
She reached the spot where her father had been attacked, the underbrush was still flattened where her father had fallen. It was difficult to find any animal prints in the thick vegetation and the darkness, but she did manage to find two sets of paw prints. The smaller ones definitely belonged to a dog, but the larger ones… They were wolfish, yes, but something about them made the hairs in the back of her neck rise. If she didn’t know better, she’d have said they were werewolf prints. But it wasn’t even close to full moon, it just made no sense…  
  
Following the prints into the trees, she felt the familiar signs of excitement take over her instincts; every single sound in the forest was magnified. _If it really was a werewolf, why hadn’t it attacked her father?_  
  
She heard the hoot of an owl, the scurrying of mice and even managed to scare off a red fox, but there was no sign of a dog or anything else. Just as she was starting to considering turning back, she reached a clearing, and in the middle sat a house. It wasn’t large, and it looked old and in need of maintenance, but there was light in the first floor windows. Someone was living there.  
  
So strange. She’d heard plenty of stories about her home village and forests surrounding it, but never anything about people living in the middle of it. Staying in the shadow of the treeline, she considered her options. She could go back to her father and come back tomorrow, or she could knock on the door and question the people in the house. Maybe they knew something about the dog and the strange wolf. _Or maybe they were in that house…_  
  
As if it had heard her thoughts, the front door opened and a large, black dog stepped out.  
  
***  
  
Remus wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but it certainly hadn’t been this. The young woman they’d wanted to lure to the house practically barged inside with her wand drawn out and tripped on the umbrella stand, ending up on the floor.  
  
“Do you need help?” He enquired, offering her a hand.  
  
She eyed him with distrust, but then took his hand anyway.  
  
“That was quite an entrance,” he said, trying to calm his nerves. Her eyes were busy scanning her surroundings, and he couldn’t help noticing that her chestnut brown hair was full of leaves from the forest.  
  
She sighed.  
  
“Let’s start from the beginning. I’m Nymphadora Tonks, and I’m looking for a dog and a wolf that attacked my father earlier today,” she said, truly facing him for the first time.  
  
“Nice to meet you, Nymphadora-“  
  
“Just Tonks, please.”  
  
“Tonks, then. I’m Remus Lupin, and the dog in the corner is Padfoot,” he answered, pointing at Sirius, who had placed himself between the door and the woman.  
  
“I’m sorry to disturb you so late, but I have to ask: Is he your dog?” She asked.  
  
Sirius scoffed. _She’s rather rude, you know. The two of you should get along splendidly._  
  
“He’s nobody’s dog,” Remus replied, trying not to chuckle.  
  
“Does he have a wolf friend?”  
  
He hesitated. Surely an Auror would not be as horrified as most people, but considering what was at stake and what successfully breaking the curse required, he wasn’t sure if telling her the truth about his condition was a good idea at this point.  
  
“Well, there are wolves in the area, although I’ve never seen any myself.”  
  
He watched as her brown eyes narrowed. She didn’t believe him.  
  
“I’m afraid I can’t help you any further, but please stay for tea.”  
  
“I shouldn’t, my father’s expecting me.”  
  
He wondered if he’d be able to explain himself to her, and took a deep breath. This was the first time he’d even made it this far.  
  
“If you follow me to the kitchen, I think you’ll find something that’ll interest you as an Auror,” he blurted out, relieved when he managed to get it out. Perhaps he could tell her about about the curse if he was vague enough.  
  


***

  
  
This was a strange house, and Remus Lupin was a strange man. However, she was hardly defenseless and if he was being honest with her, there was no way she’d be able to resist a good mystery.  
  
“All right then. But I must get back straight after tea,” she heard herself reply.  
  
She followed him into a well-lit kitchen. At first glance nothing seemed out of place and she was about to turn on her heels until she heard a new voice.  
  
“Evening, dear! How lovely to meet you, we don’t get many guests here, I’m afraid.”  
  
She turned towards the voice, her wand still at the ready, and was surprised to find she was staring at a teapot.  
  
“What is this?” She hissed, turning back to Remus.  
  
“This is Molly,” he answered, motioning to the teapot.  
  
“Yes, dear. I’m Molly Weasley,” it said, and now she saw that it had eyes. Had Remus done this to her? So far he seemed to be the only one in the house capable of handling a wand. Cursing herself, she wished she’d talked to Mad-Eye. This was more serious than she’d thought.  
  
“I’m Nymphadora Tonks,” she mumbled in response.  
  
“Please have a seat, I’ll have tea for you in just a minute. Would you like some biscuits as well?”  
  
“Errr, no thanks. Are you, Remus and Padfoot the only ones here?” She asked, wondering how many other people here had been turned into inanimate objects.  
  
“Most of my family’s here, dear. You’ll find them in the living room.”  
  
 _Family. Children. Was the dog a human too?_ She’d seen enough. Raising her wand, she directed it at Remus.  
  
“You can try to change them back if you’d like to, but you’ll find that your spells don’t work on them,” he said, raising his hands in surrender.  
  
“Did you do this?” She asked, still refusing to lower her wand. He didn’t seem like a lunatic, but then again, not all dark wizards seemed dangerous.  
  
“Merlin, no,” he sighed.  
  
“Then who was it?”  
  
“I can’t tell you.”  
  
“Can’t or won’t?”  
  
“Literally can’t.”  
  
“This place is cursed,” she said, more to herself than him. Whatever curse she was up against, it was powerful, probably more powerful than any curse she’d come across in her career before. Mad-Eye would have to be alerted immediately.


	2. Part II

**Part II**

  
  
  
“I’ll help you, but I can’t do it on my own. We have curse breakers at the Ministry who’ll know what to do.”  
  
The dog growled, and Remus shook his head insistently.  
  
“The Ministry can’t get involved.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“You wouldn’t believe me even if I could tell you.”  
  
“You’re claiming this was done by someone at the Ministry?”  
  
Remus opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out.  
  
“Right. Sorry. But I still need to tell the Ministry something, if I’m not going to be showing up to work tomorrow morning. They’ll come looking for me otherwise.”  
  
“Yes, I guess you must. But please, don’t tell them too much.”  
  
“I’ll just talk to my mentor and make sure my dad doesn’t worry. I could use your fireplace-”  
  
“We’re not collected to the Floo Network. You’ll have to go back to village. Padfoot will accompany you.”  
  
“Or you could just trust me. I _am_ coming back, you know.”  
  
Remus smiled despite himself.  
  
“Do you trust me, Tonks?”  
  
“That’s different!”  
  
“No, it’s not. Padfoot will make sure get things sorted. Good night, I’ll see you in the morning.”  
Without another word to her, Remus walked out of the kitchen.  
  


***

  
  
"Why are you sending the dog with me? Can't you come yourself?"she asked, following him out of the room. He had reached a set of stairs leading to the 2nd floor and started climbing.  
  
"No, I can't," he replied without turning back to look at her.  
  
"What happens if you leave the house?" she continued, ignoring his dismissal.  
  
"I'll tell you tomorrow!"  
  
The slam of a door upstairs told her that as far as he was concerned, they were done for the night.  
  
"And what are you even supposed to do if I refuse to go back?" she asked the dog as he jogged beside her on the road to the village.  
  
Padfoot replied by barking, but of course she had no idea what he was saying. The barks sounded an awful lot like laughter though, but she was probably imagining it. Meeting Molly had left her paranoid.  
  
All the lights were still on when she reached her father's house.  
  
"Stay hidden, or you'll scare him!" she hissed to Padfoot, who settled into a shadowy corner on the porch, growling softly.  
  
"Dad? Are you still awake?" she asked, closing the door behind her.  
  
"Dora, thank Merlin! Are you all right?" he asked, wrapping her into a tight embrace.  
  
"Yeah, everything's all right, but I found something that I need to look into."  
  
"For work?"  
  
"Yeah. I'm going back there as soon as I've owled Mad-Eye. Is it alright if I borrow Mouse?" she asked, already looking around the kitchen for their old barn owl.  
  
"Of course, love! But do you really have to go back tonight?"  
  
"I really do, this case is urgent."  
  
"When will you be back?"  
  
She hesitated.  
  
"I'm not sure, it might be a while, but don't worry about me. I'll be fine, I promise," she replied, flashing him a smile that she hoped looked more confident than she was feeling.  
  
Her father didn't look entirely convinced, but he said nothing. He had always supported her career choices and had faith in her abilities. She could only hope he would trust her this time as well.  
  
After sending Mouse on her way with her message and packing some spare clothes, she hugged her father once more. She really no idea how long this would take and if she would even be able to contact him anytime soon.  
  
"Be safe, Dora, please," pleaded her father, refusing to let go of her.  
  
"I will. I'll write you as soon as I can," she promised, disentangling herself from his grip.  
  
Padfoot was still waiting for her when she left the house.  
  
"Right. Let's go then," she said quietly.  
  
Her father was an adult and by now used to living alone, but they were close and she would miss him. Apparently noticing her sour mood, Padfoot nuzzled her hand with his nose and gave it a single lick. She smiled.  
  
"Thanks, boy," she said, patting the dog's head.  
  


***

  
  
Remus's bones creaked as he rose from bed the next morning. Although the transformations outside the full moon didn't take as big of a toll on his body as his regular ones, he was still sore and irritated. He would stay in the house or on the porch from now on as much as he possibly could.  
  
Just then he fully remembered the events of the previous day. _Nymphadora Tonks._ His guts twisted painfully when he thought about what he'd have to do to set his friends free. Fooling an innocent woman felt wrong, and why would she even fall for him in the first place?  
  
As he approached the kitchen, it became clear to him that everyone had met her by now. The laughter emanating from the room was something he hadn't heard from his friends in years. As he entered the room, Tonks was sitting at the table, nursing a large cup of tea, surrounded by the Weasley children.  
  
Ron and Ginny, forced into the form of teacups, were on the table, as was Percy, as a tableclock, listening closely to Tonks's story about her first day as an Auror. The twins, as footstools, were on the floor, while Bill, the grandfather-clock, stood in the corner, speaking to his girlfriend Fleur, a wardrobe. Molly was next to the stove, as usual, helped by Arthur, as a candlestick. Sirius was sitting on the floor next to Tonks, wagging his tail and clearly hoping a piece of her toast would find its way into his mouth.  
  
"Morning, Remus!" called Arthur.  
  
"Morning," he murmured back.  
  
 _You should show her around the house_ , said Sirius.  
  
"Fine, fine," Remus muttered, clearing his throat.  
  
"I could show you around the house after breakfast. Not that there's much to see, but anyway."  
  
"Sure! I'll be finished soon."  
  
The tour of the house wasn’t exactly a long affair, as the building consisted of only three bedrooms, the kitchen, living room, two bathrooms, a library and a basement. Remus hadn’t even been planning on showing her where the entrance to the basement was located, but there wasn’t much else he could do when she tripped on the handle of the trapdoor under the living room rug.  
  
“Ugh! What’s in there?” she asked, pushing herself to her feet.  
  
“That’s the entrance to the basement. I ask you not to go there,” he replied, preparing himself for the questions he knew would ensue. Nymphadora Tonks didn’t strike him as someone who left stones unturned. This one would have to stay that way, however.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Remus hesitated.  
  
"It's a private matter."  
  
She frowned at him.  
  
"You know, I don't like it when people try to make my job more difficult," she answered, crossing her arms and glaring at him.  
  
"There's nothing down there for you to see. You won't break the curse by going in there,” he insisted, mentally reminding himself to strengthen the wards on the trapdoor. But would even that help if she decided to go in?  
  
“Fine, I’ll let it go. For now,” she muttered in reply. She didn't seem entirely happy with the excuse he’d provided her with, but it was all he had to give.  
  
“How about we take a look at the library?” he suggested, deciding that redirecting her thoughts away from the basement would be the best course of action.  
  
“Sure. You wouldn’t happen to have any books that might help me break the curse?” she asked, half joking.  
  
“I guess we should have a look,” he replied, striding past her to open the door to the library.  
  
"Hold on a second, I'll be right there," Tonks said, stopping in front of a mirror.  
  
He watched as she scrunched up her face and suddenly her brown hair turned into the vivid pink he'd seen in the photograph.  
  
"Impressive. I assume you are a Metamorphagus then?"  
  
She turned to him, grinning proudly, her brown eyes twinkling.  
  
"Yeah, I am. No idea where I got the powers from, but it is genetic."  
  
"That must come very handy as an Auror."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"It does. Concealment has always been my specialty."  
  
He couldn't help but be impressed by her. Metamorphagi were rare, but her talents reminded him that not all shape-shifting had anything to do with dark magic.  
  
"Let's see about that library, then!" she blurted, striding past him.  
  
Remus smiled at her enthusiasm, although he knew it was mostly brought on by her motivation to break the curse. His library just was hardly something all that many people were interested in, no matter what their motives were. He had rarely had the opportunity to show his and his father's collection to anyone, and even more seldom had he been able to show it to someone who would probably be able to appreciate it.  
  


***

  
  
"You've got quite the collection here," she said, genuinely impressed. As far as the Dark Arts were considered, the Hogwarts library had nothing on this room. There were dozens and dozens of volumes on curses, counter curses, and dark creatures.  
  
She had always been more into learning things on the fly rather than by reading, but who could resist books like these?  
  
"Most of them belonged to my father," he replied.  
  
"What did he do for a living?"  
  
"He studied dark creatures. It was his life's work."  
  
"And you're taking after him?"  
  
"It's more of a hobby than a profession for me, but perhaps you could say that."  
  
"Can I read these? I mean, maybe there's something here that can help me find out more about your curse. The things you can't tell me yourself."  
  
"Feel free to browse here as you wish. Like I said, you can go anywhere in this house, except for the basement."  
  
"And I still don't understand why that is."  
  
"And I still can't tell you."  
  
"Can't or won't?"  
  
"Let's have a look at these books then, shall we?"  
  
"Don't change the subject."  
  
"All right. Would it satisfy you if told you that there's nothing in that cellar that could help you break the curse?"  
  
He seemed sincere enough, but there was no chance of her forgetting about the forbidden room underneath their feet. She didn’t quite trust him enough to believe that there was nothing of interest to her down there.  
  
"You said that already, and I can't make any promises."  
  


***

  
  
Over the next week, the two of them spent most of their time in the library, poring over one book after another. She learned that Remus's knowledge of the Dark Arts was impressive and couldn’t get enough of his stories of encountering the creatures she'd only read about in books or perhaps faced in a controlled environment.  
  
"You'd make a fine Auror, you know," she told him one chilly afternoon, as they were enjoying tea over a large volume on Inferi.  
  
He let out a snort, and she felt her cheeks redden from the embarrassment. He must think her insensitive, this man had been confined to this house for years after all, and unless she broke the curse, he would not get to work anywhere again.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's just that you know so much about all this, far more than most of the people I work with."  
  
He shook his head.  
  
"No offense taken. Nevertheless, I find it hard to believe that your colleagues are less knowledgeable than I am."  
  
"If you only knew..." she trailed off. People like Dawlish were perhaps smart and physically capable but had no desire to learn anything new and lacked the ability to adapt into surprising situations. She had had the misfortune of working with him on a few missions and the man had had the guts to try and take all the credit for their arrests, claiming he’d pulled off some risky move, when in fact he’d been huddling behind something, sending a half-aimed spell at the enemy every now and then, while she’d been moving around and sometimes actually pulling the kind of risky moves Dawlish could only dream of. The Ministry would be lucky to have someone like Remus on their payroll.  
  


***

  
  
The days passed surprisingly fast in the house. Tonks used most of her time in the library with Remus, and when she got sick of being cooped up inside, she’d throw sticks to Padfoot in the clearing. Remus had been largely absent for the last few days, but Molly had assured her that he was simply feeling under the weather and that she shouldn’t worry.  
  
It had been five weeks now since she’d last seen her dad, and she felt nowhere closer to breaking the curse than she’d been that very first day. No matter how many times she went through all the notes she’d made on the house and its inhabitants, she felt like she was still missing the most important pieces of the puzzle.  
  
The clock on her nightstand showed that it was after three o’clock in the morning, and she hadn’t slept a wink. Hoping a cup of chamomile tea would help, she set out to the kitchen.  
She hadn't expected anyone to be awake at this hour, so she was surprised to hear the clanking of dishes from the kitchen as she descended the stairs.  
  
Remus was standing at the stove, with his back turned to her, stirring something that smelled very  
much like hot cocoa to her.  
  
"Wotcher," she greeted.  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Couldn't sleep either?"  
  
"I operate on very little sleep these days."  
  
"I usually sleep well, but this curse is keeping me awake."  
  
Remus sighed.  
  
"I truly wish I could tell you more."  
  
"I know."  
  
"Would you like something to drink?"  
  
"What are you having?"  
  
"Cocoa."  
  
"I'll have the same."  
  
He poured the cocoa into two large mugs and set one in front of her on the table, taking a seat across from her.  
  


***

  
  
"I'm sorry you've had to stay here for so long... I know you must miss your family and friends."  
  
"Well, this is my job, so no apologising. You need help, and I'm not leaving until I've broken the curse."  
  
"Where does the Ministry think you are?"  
  
"I asked my mentor to cover for me, to tell the office that he'd sent me out on an assignment. He's a little eccentric but also the best Auror I've ever met and they don't really want to cross him there," she replied, smirking.  
  
Remus frowned.  
  
"Who's your mentor, if I may ask?"  
  
"Mad-, erm, Alastor Moody."  
  
"I thought he retired years ago!"  
  
"You know him?"  
  
"We worked together during the war against Voldemort."  
  
"I had no idea! He was supposed to retire but changed his mind, and you can probably figure that there's no putting Mad-Eye on retirement unless he agrees."  
  
Remus nodded, smiling back at her. He hadn't expected her to be Moody's protégée. Considering that the old Auror was extremely paranoid and picky about who he agreed to teach, if Tonks had managed to convince him, she must truly be quite talented even for an Auror.  
  
“I’m sure he showed up to see my dad and to evaluate if I’d been somehow compelled to send him that letter, but I’d like to think he knows better than to think that,” she continued, letting out a small laugh.  
  
“You miss him too,” he said softly.  
  
It wasn’t fair keeping her there. She was young and had a life to live. So far there had been no signs of her having any romantic interest in him, and somehow he found that disappointing and not merely because of the curse. Despite himself, he had begun to enjoy their daily work in the library as well as just being in her company.  
  
She shrugged.  
  
“I wish I could ask him things about this curse of yours, but I know I’ll see him again and he’ll give me hell for not calling him here,” she answered, chuckling.  
  
“Sounds like him.”  
  
“Where have you been lately? Molly said you were ill.”  
  
“I- I was. It was quite a bad flu, and I didn’t want to infect you.”  
  
“Well, you do look a bit peaky and like you should eat more. Good to see you’re on the mend though, I’ve missed having someone to look through the books with me,” she said casually, and his heart skipped a beat.  
  
How had he ever thought this was going to work out? That she would fall for him but he would feel nothing? She was everything he could have wanted in a woman: brave, clever, interested in what he did, and capable of making him laugh. With her he felt lighter than in years.  
  
However, at the end of the day it was all a mirage. He was a werewolf, which she didn't know, and was using her to help himself and his friends, which she didn't know either. His kind didn't- couldn't- marry or have children, so pursuing a relationship with her just to get her to admit she loved him would be cruel. There was no future for them together. How could he betray her? But how could he fail his friends either?  
  


***

  
  
Once Tonks had returned to her room, she felt like she had managed to find at least one formerly missing puzzle piece: Remus was a werewolf. He had never actually shown her what he looked like when he left the house, but he had admitted to being the wolf her dad had seen. His appearance tonight, as well as his disappearance during and after the full moon told her all she needed to know.  
She had known from the start that there was something peculiar about him. After all, such a smart and powerful wizard should have had a steady job.  
  
Remus would have been a great teacher, but she suspected lycanthropy scared any potential employers. Her heart ached for him, he didn't deserve any of this. He could have even been a great Auror, but his prospects had been taken away from him. Not for the first time in her life her blood boiled over the idiocy of people. Wizards were no better than Muggles when it came to prejudice.  
  
Recently she had also begun to think of Remus as more than just someone in need of her help. She considered them friends by now, but there was something more there too. She knew you weren’t supposed to get involved with people you were trying to help, but she had to admit to herself that she was interested in him as more than a friend. He wasn’t like any of the men she’d gone out with, but he was kind, funny, smart, brave and respectful. In other words, exactly what she liked in a man. Sure, he was older than her, but why did that have to matter?  
  
Maybe once the curse was broken she could tell him how she felt, but for now she would have to try to focus on the problem at hand.  
  


***

  
  
They should have turned in for the night a long time ago, but Tonks had insisted on continuing. She was convinced that they were close to a breakthrough with a book on historical curses that involved involuntary transfiguration. It had been nearly a month since his last transformation, and the regular pre-transformation weariness had begun to take over him, but he’d stayed with her in an attempt not to look suspicious. Him falling ill once again would be certain to make her suspect something more was going on with him. He had started to lose hope that she’d be able to break the curse, as their deadline was looming merely a few days away.  
  
Her dedication and quick mind were nothing short of incredible, and he'd found himself just watching her more and more often as the weeks passed by. Like right now, when she was sitting on the desk, leaning over the book, a finger flying on the faded letters.  
A strand of pink hair fell from her ponytail, landing on her cheek. Before he even realised what he was doing, he had brushed it back behind her ear. Her concentration broke, and suddenly her eyes were on his.  
"Remus," she said, her voice barely a whisper.  
  
A heavy weight settled into the pit of his stomach, but it wasn't a bad weight. It was anticipation and desire. Her gaze moved onto his mouth, and somehow he knew what she wanted, what they both wanted.  
He closed the distance between them and allowed his lips to find hers. Her hands tangled in his hair, while one of his found a place on her back and the other one traveled further down her side, onto her hip, and then her thigh.  
  
Leaning further into her, she let him push her back closer to the desk, until he was almost hovering over her. His hand found a patch of bare skin through her ripped jeans, making her moan against his mouth.  
It was the sound that made him realise what he was doing. This was insanity. He pulled away from her so suddenly that she nearly hit her head on the desk.  
  
"I'm sorry... This was a mistake. I need to go," he mumbled, staggering away from her and out of the library. He needed to get as far away as possible.  
  


***

  
  
The next day Remus no longer showed up to the library, leaving her to go through the books on her own. Thinking about their kiss still made her feel light-headed. Why had he run? After all, he’d been the one to initiate it and seemed to enjoy it as much as she did.  
  
She sighed. Men had never been on the top of her priority list, and now she was dealing with a very difficult one. The good thing was that he would eventually have to talk to her, the house wasn’t big enough for them both to live in and never see each other.  
  
Deciding to confront Remus later, she focused on the book in her lap.  
  
Curses involving involuntary transformation of humans into animals or inanimate objects are often extremely complicated to break. They can usually be maintained only for a certain period of time at first, and only after this time has elapsed does the curse turn permanent. During this initial time period, breaking the curse is possible but there is no general counter curse. Each curse is unique and must be treated as such. In order to break the curse, knowing the witch or wizard who cast the curse and their beliefs and motivations is vital.  
  
Well, this is rather unhelpful, she thought. The only thing she knew about the person who had cast the curse was that he or she apparently worked at the Ministry. She could think of a few people capable of this kind of evil who she’d unfortunately been forced to work with, but accusing people just because you didn’t happen to like them was not professional and sometimes unpleasant people were just that, and nothing more.  
There had to be some way to find out more about the caster, but that wasn’t going to happen unless Remus decided to start speaking to her again. Meanwhile, she determined it was time to see her father and make sure Mad-Eye had stayed happy enough not to barge in through Remus’s door with the entire Auror Department in tow.  
  


***

  
  
Tonks hadn't shown up to work in nearly two months. Old Moody kept on claiming she was away on a mission and being supervised by him, but Dawlish didn't buy it. The old man was lying, but he hadn't yet figured out why.  
  
He had tried prying the truth out of Dora's father, insisting he was just concerned as a colleague and someone who cared a great deal for her, but he had pretended not to know anything. To his great surprise, he saw her heading for her father's house late one afternoon just as he was walking to the pub to meet with Pete. Instead of confronting her directly, he fetched Pete from the pub and set out to wait for her to come out again. He would find out where she was going.  
  
He was lucky, and it took less than an hour until she emerged from the house. Pressing himself further into the shadows between her father's house and the one next to it, he watched as she looked around before setting out. She walked briskly into the forest, clearly knowing where she was going.  
  
Dolores Umbridge had told him to keep an eye for anything unusual in the forest, but he'd only seen a black dog a few times. He began to think that perhaps Umbridge hadn't told him everything.  
As quietly as possible, Pete and he followed her through the trees. She must have at least suspected that someone was following her, as she zigzagged quite a bit. Nevertheless, she didn't have his tracking skills, and they had little difficulty trailing her. Eventually she reached a clearing with a house on it.  
  
The house was alight, and under the porch light he could see the familiar black dog, as well as an unremarkable man clad in a shabby jumper. He saw Dora smile at the man and rub the dog behind its ears and felt his hands curling into fists. This was supposed to be a mission?  
  
Just then he noticed that Pete was shaking beside him. He frowned.  
  
"Do you know that man, Pete?" He whispered.  
  
Pete's teeth chattered.  
  
"He's- he's a werewolf! And the dog is Sirius Black!"  
  
"Sirius Black? What are you talking about?"  
  
"He's an Animagus, John!"  
  
"How do you know that?"  
  
"I- I heard that from a friend who went to Hogwarts with them," stuttered Pete.  
  
"And what is that werewolf's name?"  
  
"Remus Lupin."  
  
Umbridge would be thrilled to hear he'd found Sirius Black, and if she decided to sentence Remus Lupin to Azkaban too, all the better for him. The memory of Dora smiling at the werewolf made his stomach turn. She had never smiled at him like that, although he was actually worthy of it, unlike this beast.  
  
"Let's go home," he told Pete, who seemed eager to get away from the house.  
  


***

  
  
Despite greeting her the night before, Remus had stayed in his room for the entire morning the next day as well, and she was getting sick of him avoiding her. At least she had been able to tell him that she’d been followed, but he no longer seemed interested in helping her with the curse. Git.  
If he wasn’t going to help her, she’d have to sort this out all on her own, and that included going into the basement. Locating the trapdoor in the living room floor was easy enough once she moved all the furniture closer to the walls.  
  
“Tonks, dear, you shouldn’t go in there,” said Molly, sounding concerned.  
  
“I know, Molly, but I have to. Remus says it’s not important for me to know what’s in there in order to break the curse, but maybe he’s wrong.”  
  
“I think he’s right.”  
  
“Well, I’m going in anyway,” she said. Her frustration over Remus’s recent behavior made her even more determined to see what secrets the basement possibly held.  
  
Yanking the carpet aside, she pointed her wand at the hatch.


	3. Part III

**Part III**

****  
  
The trapdoor swung aside, revealing a wooden ladder.  
  
The basement wasn’t very deep, but the smell was musty and the air humid and cooler than the rest of the house. Rubbing her arms to keep off the cold, she looked around the room.  
  
The walls were made of stone, but there were claw marks all over them. The wooden support pillars had suffered an identical fate. Aside from the candles attached to the walls, the room was bare. On first look it was hard to understand what was so special about this room that Remus hadn’t wanted her to see it.  
  
Tracing the claw marks on one of the pillars, she finally understood.  
  
This had to be where he transformed during the full moon. He’d made these marks when his mind hadn’t been his own, and he still believed she didn’t know what he was. A thud from behind her made her jump.  
  
“You shouldn’t be here,” said Remus.  
  
“You should’ve shown this place to me! There’s nothing here that you needed to hide from me!”  
  
“There’s also nothing here that’d help you break the curse.”  
  
Remus Lupin truly had to be the thickest and most stubborn man alive.  
  
“Maybe I wouldn’t have needed to come here if you hadn’t avoided me for the last couple of days! Which is, by the way, a rather impressive feat, considering the size of this house.”  
  
“Let’s just get out of here, Tonks.”  
  
“No, we will talk this out right now. I won’t let you weasel your way out of this!”  
  
Remus sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “And what is it that you want to tell me?”  
  
“For such a smart man you can be quite an idiot sometimes, Remus. I know what you are, and I didn’t need to see this room to know it.”  
  
“I- you don’t-”  
  
Now it was her turn to let out an exasperated sigh.  
  
“You’re a werewolf, which I already knew when you kissed me! Seeing this room was just confirmation to what I already knew, and it makes no difference to me.”  
  
“Do you have any idea what you’re saying? Have you even seen a werewolf before?”  
  
“Yeah, I have, actually. During my third year of Auror studies, Mad-Eye and I interrogated Fenrir Greyback, and I know you’re nothing like him.”  
  
“At the end of the day we’re all the same. Monsters.”  
  
“You’re no monster.”  
  
“You’re being naïve, Tonks.”  
  
“How about you stop patronising- what was that?”  
  
They both went quiet at the sound of the trapdoor above them slamming shut. A few seconds later there was another sound, this time as if something heavy was being moved directly above the hatch.  
  
“Sirius!” Remus yelled, climbing the ladder. He made an attempt to push the door to the side, but to no avail.  
  
“Who’s Sirius?” she asked.  
  
Remus released a rare curse.  
  
“I’ll tell you later, preferably once I’ve throttled him. This door wasn’t made to open from the inside, only from the outside. And now that there’s something heavy on top of the hatch, it means we’re not getting out until someone takes it off.”  
  
“So we’re stuck here?”  
  
“That would seem to be the case for now.”  
  
“That means you have time to explain to me about Sirius.”  
  
He cleared his throat.  
  
“I guess it does. What I’m about to tell you may upset you, but I’m asking you to listen until I’m finished and then get angry if you’re still so inclined.”  
  
She raised her brows.  
  
“All right. Get on with it, then. I’m listening.”  
  


***

  
  
Tonks took the news of Padfoot’s identity rather well. She didn’t seem to think it was preposterous to believe Sirius was innocent. So at least there was one topic they had no need to argue over that night. He had no idea when Sirius would be inclined to let them out, but he doubted it’d be until the morning.  
  
“So Sirius was in his Animagus form when you were cursed and then got stuck?”  
  
He nodded.  
  
“Yes. There are few people outside this house who are aware of Sirius’s other form.”  
  
“The Ministry doesn’t know either?”  
  
“No. I don’t think him being stuck as a dog as punishment is what any Ministry worker had in mind for him.”  
  
Just a few hours ago his old friend had been doing his very best to convince him to go to Tonks and “finish the job,” that they were too close to breaking the curse to fail now. He’d known he’d have to at least try, but he’d never felt right kissing her without her knowing about his condition. Now that he knew the truth, he wanted to smack himself. He’d underestimated this woman again, and after everything she knew, she was still there, sitting next to him on the cold stone floor of the basement, and not refusing to look at him or talk to him. That was a miracle in itself.  
  
“I still think we should talk about what happened between us,” she said, this time much less forcefully than earlier.  
  
“What is there to talk about?” he asked.  
  
She rolled her eyes at him.  
  
“Did you run because you thought I didn’t know you’re a werewolf?”  
  
“Mostly because of that, yes.”  
  
“But I did know, so you had no reason to worry.”  
  
“Perhaps not. I’m sorry for underestimating you.”  
  
“Apology accepted.”  
  
“But I can’t stress it enough that I believe werewolves to be unsuitable romantic partners as a whole.”  
  
Tonks scoffed.  
  
“That’s bollocks, Remus. You’re a good man who hasn’t let his circumstances define him. There are far worse men out there who claim to be wholly human,” she said, bumping his shoulder with hers gently.  
  
He chuckled.  
  
“On a more serious note, your transformations must be very painful. These marks here… They’re deep.”  
  
This was yet another topic he did not wish to discuss with her, but then again, she had a way of bringing up all the things he never wanted to talk about.  
  
“You could say so. The wolf wants to kill, and when I’m transformed, there are no humans here to prey on. It needs to take it out on something,” he replied quietly.  
  
She suddenly pulled his right hand into her lap, tracing the scars on it before he could pull it back. Her touch on the sensitive skin burned, but not in an unpleasant manner, which was exactly why he cursed Sirius yet again for locking them in together.  
  
“You hurt yourself too,” she said. It wasn’t even a question, but rather a statement.  
  
He yanked his hand from her.  
  
“It’s nothing,” he said roughly.  
  
He made to stand up, but she grabbed his arm before he could do that.  
  
“What-”  
  
Before he could get out another word, her hands were on his face and her mouth on his. Her kiss was fervent and demanding. This was a terrible idea, but Merlin, she felt so good.  
  
"We should stop," he whispered against her neck.  
  
"Give me one good reason to."  
  
"I'm too old you."  
  
"Irrelevant."  
  
"I'm a werewolf."  
  
"I don't care. Let it go, Remus. I know you want this," she replied, forcing him to look at her.  
He was tired of avoiding her, of trying to hide how he felt about her when she was right in the next room. After a last sigh of resolve, he took her heart-shaped face between his palms and kissed her.  
  
Her eyes took in all his scars, not horrified or pitying, but accepting. She truly saw him the way he wanted to be seen, against all odds. His initial nervousness began to fade, and he allowed her to kiss an old scar on his shoulder. She was a treasure that could never be his the way he wanted her to be, but for tonight he could put that reality out of his mind. For tonight he was just a man who loved a woman, nothing more and nothing less.  
  


***

  
  
The morning arrived too fast as far as Tonks was concerned. The warm cocoon formed by their bodies and various clothes had kept her warm throughout the night, but as she opened her eyes, she saw that the trap door was open again.  
  
Willing Remus to stay asleep for just a little while more, she tightened her hold on him and returned to the memories of the night before. There was no way she'd ever forget about it, but she'd wasn't foolish enough to think he'd feel the same way. He'd been more than a willing participant and even called her "Dora," which she loved hearing from his lips, but no promises had been made. Yet she dared to believe that they could sort this out, that she could make him believe in them.  
  
When Remus began to stir, she knew it was time to face the outside world and a more reserved Remus Lupin.  
  
"Good morning," he greeted, his voice hoarse.  
  
"It is a good morning," she replied.  
  
He said nothing in return but to her surprise kissed her tenderly.  
  
"Breakfast?" he suggested.  
  
They gathered their clothes and ate in the kitchen with Sirius. Nobody seemed to know what had occurred between them, and it seemed that Remus wanted to keep it that way. He barely looked at her.  
  
Trying to shake the hurt caused by Remus’s distant behavior, Tonks returned to the library after breakfast, intending to update Remus on her progress, but the crystal ball on the corner table caught her attention. It was showing something. She couldn't make out what was happening until she was standing right next to the table. What she saw made her want to vomit. Her innocent father being dragged out of his house by Dawlish and his minion. Next it showed them dragging him along a corridor at the Ministry and finally setting him in front of Dolores Umbridge. Tonks had never had to personally work with her, but she was aware of the woman’s dubious reputation. A cold dread for her father filled her.  
  
The parchment in front of Umbridge stated the charges: "Knowingly protecting a well-known fugitive. Crime is punishable by 2 years in Azkaban."  
  
 _  
Dawlish and this broad were trying to send her father to Azkaban of all places!_ Gasping, she ran out of the room, bumping into Remus in the foyer.  
  
"What's the matter?" he asked.  
  
"Umbridge is trying to get my dad thrown into Azkaban!"  
  
"Based on what?"  
  
"They're claiming that he's participated in harboring a fugitive. They must know about Sirius. Listen, Remus..."  
  
"You need to go."  
  
"I have to save him, but I'll come back here as soon as I can, I promise." After a quick kiss, she was out the door.  
  
“Wait, it could be a trap!”  
  
“Yeah, it could, but what else can I do?” she asked, turning back to face him.  
  
“Just- just be careful.”  
  
She nodded, and after taking a few steps from the house, Disapparated.  
 _  
Why did you let her go? We have less than two days until the deadline, she'll never make it back here on time!_ barked Sirius.  
  
"I know, Sirius, but how was I supposed to keep her here? Her father's in real danger, we all here know what Dolores Umbridge is capable of."  
  
 _Yes, we do, but come on, she was so close to breaking the curse that I could practically taste it. She loves you, all you had to do was make her say it._  
  
"How?"  
  
 _How about telling her you love her? She would've returned the words, you know that!_  
  
Remus sighed. He knew he was responsible for his friends' fate, but telling Tonks he loved her wouldn't have been fair to her, as he had no intention of ever telling her that, curse or not. She was innocent of what had happened to them and didn’t deserve to be lead on. On the other hand, he was responsible for the fate his friends had suffered.  
  
"Dumbledore will be here when the deadline closes; perhaps he's been able to think of another way to get us out of this. Or maybe he can at least buy as some more time," said Remus, knowing his optimism was hardly warranted. Dumbledore had already done his best, including giving them the crystal ball. It was unlikely that he'd be able to help them anymore.  
  
 _Do you even believe that yourself?_ Asked Sirius, turning his back to Remus.  
  
“It looks like Umbridge knows about you, Sirius. I don’t know how she found out.”  
 _  
That Dawlish bloke we saw following Tonks the other night must have tipped her off someway, but how? I’ve never seen the man before._  
  
“That’s a good question, but at this stage I think it’d be safer for you to leave. They’re bound to show up here soon, and I won’t be able to do much if I’m in the basement.”  
  
 _I’m not going anywhere. We’ll see this through together. And if we’re both in the basement tonight, I doubt they’ll come knocking, if they want to live until the morning._  
  
“And what happens after that? You know how I am the morning after a full moon, I won’t be of any use to you.”  
  
 _It doesn’t matter. Look, our time’s running out anyway. I might as well go out with a bang instead of hiding out in the woods as a dog for the rest of my life,_ finished Sirius, stalking out of the room.  
  
Remus had made a mess out of everything. If Tonks had broken the curse, Sirius wouldn’t have been this suicidal. He hadn't been able to manipulate Tonks the way he should have been, and falling in love with her had certainly never been a part of the plan. The one thing he wished for more than anything else was that there was a way for him to carry the curse alone. As long as the others could go back to their lives, he would manage. Even if he was never able to leave the house again as a human. His friends didn't deserve to pay for his shortcomings. Perhaps he could still ask Dumbledore if he could redirect the curse just on him once they reached the deadline, if they were still alive at that point. He sat on his bed and buried his head in his hands.  
  
“Remus, dear?” called out Molly. Remus raised his head and offered her a wry smile. She had always been good to him, never blaming him, despite the fate she and her family had suffered.  
  
“What is it?” he asked.  
  
“I saw Tonks leave, and I just wanted to tell you that Arthur and I think you did the right thing.”  
  
“She won’t make it back here on time to break the curse,” he replied softly.  
  
“Maybe she won’t, but she’ll save her father from Umbridge. You have no reason to feel guilty about what happened to us, Remus. Arthur and I are responsible for ourselves and for our children. We made the decision to help Dumbledore, you and Sirius in the first place, and we don’t regret it. It’s better to stand for what you believe in than live your life just trying to avoid all possible dangers. That’s the way we raised our children as well.”  
  
“But I’ve failed all of you.”  
  
“You’ve done the best you could. You’re an honourable man and the curse that bitch cast on us was pure evil, she never believed you’d even come close to breaking it.”  
  
“She knows about Sirius now, Molly.”  
  
“But how?”  
  
Remus shook his head.  
  
“We don’t know how, but it’s likely that she’ll be here soon enough.”  
  
“Then we’ll fight her, all of us together.”  
  
“They just want me and Sirius, you don’t need to put yourselves at risk.”  
  
“You don’t think we want to do anything we possibly can to get revenge on her? I’m sorry, Remus, but there is no way we’re going to stand in the sidelines.”  
  


***

  
  
Tonks Apparated directly to London and the Ministry entrance. They were still holding her dad somewhere in the premises, and she was not going to leave without him. She'd talk to Dolores Umbridge herself.  
  
The Ministry was mostly deserted this time of the night, but it didn't take very long for her to find out which floor Umbridge's office was in.  
  
The door to her office was wide open, and she saw the bitch herself sitting at her desk. The entire room was so pink it made her want to vomit, especially the combination of the color and the porcelain kittens placed all around it.  
  
Striding into the room, she didn't care if she was offending or inconveniencing the hag.  
  
"I want my father out of here. Right. Fucking. Now."  
  
"Evening, Auror Tonks, what a lovely surprise. Please have a seat, dear."  
  
Tonks sneered.  
  
"I'm not going to have a seat. I don't know why you've decided to attack my dad with these ridiculous accusations, but you're going to drop them now," she said, banging the desk with her fist.  
  
"If you want your father released, I suggest you co-operate with me, Miss Tonks."  
  
"On what?"  
  
"On catching a dangerous criminal and his companions."  
  
"And who is this dangerous criminal?"  
  
Umbridge let out a girly giggle, making Tonks's blood boil.  
  
"My, my, dear girl. I'm obviously talking about your cousin Sirius Black and his friends."  
  
"I have no idea what you mean," she replied, hoping her lies were convincing enough to even just stall her for a bit.  
  
"I've recently found out through my sources that Sirius Black is an unregistered Animagus and is being harbored in a derelict cottage by the werewolf Remus Lupin. I also know that you have been associating with this beast."  
  
Tonks clenched her hands into fists so hard her nails began cutting into her palms. How dare this woman call him that. And how dare she try to use her dad to get to Sirius and Remus. And Remus’s house was not a derelict cottage.  
  
"I have been trying to break a curse involving Remus Lupin, yes. But I know nothing about Sirius Black," she said through gritted teeth.  
  
Umbridge sighed.  
  
"Very well, then. We will have to do this the hard way then, Miss Tonks. Don't tell me I didn't try nicely at first. Dawlish!"  
  
Before Tonks's vision blurred, she saw her colleague and unwanted suitor break out from the Disillusion charm he'd been hiding under.  
  


***

  
  
The familiar pre-transformation symptoms took over Remus's body long before sunset. The cold sweats, aches and tremors kept him confined to his room for the rest of the day, and Sirius was nowhere to be seen.  
  
When the transformation was than an hour away, he dragged himself out of bed and went downstairs, aiming to get to the basement with enough time to spare.  
  
He had just reached the ladder when Sirius suddenly sprang into the room, barking.  
  
 _They’re here. Umbridge and Dawlish._  
  
Before Remus could get to the window, a familiar, sickly-sweet voice boomed from outside.  
  
"Lupin and Black, come out immediately! Nothing needs to happen to her, as long as you comply!"  
  
He grabbed his wand quickly and threw the front door open with Sirius at his coat tails.  
Dolores Umbridge was standing on the edge of the clearing with her wand at her thrust, enhancing her voice. Next to her stood the man who he and Sirius had only gotten a glimpse of a couple of nights earlier, who was holding an unconscious Tonks. What had they done to her?  
  
Remus watched as the somewhat nervous look on Umbridge's face turned into glee at the first step he took away from the safety of the porch.


	4. Part IV

**Part IV**

  
  
Tonks’s head hurt more than after the Christmas party during her 7th year of school, and that was a lot to say. As she opened her eyes, her vision was still blurry, but her hearing was just fine.  
  
“Pete, stop hiding, you imbecile, and watch her!” hissed a voice she recognised as Dawlish’s.  
  
“Y-yes, John, right away.” Of course he’d brought his favourite sidekick along.  
  
“What are you so afraid of, you little twit? I’m an Auror, I can handle one werewolf and an Animagus!”  
  
Pete didn’t reply, but she felt another presence behind her, and Dawlish gave her a little shove. She tried wriggling, but her arms and legs were bound tightly. Pete was shorter than her, and she got the feeling he was deliberately trying to hide himself behind her.  
  
Her vision began to clear, and she could see Remus on the porch, about to step down. No, don’t do it, she wanted to scream, but her voice failed her.  
  
In a flash, Remus turned into a wolf, who kept on advancing towards them. His eyes were blue, and the look he gave her told her that it was still Remus in there, not the werewolf. Just as she began to wonder how much time they had until the moon rose, the clouds cleared, revealing the pale orb. They were out of time.  
  
She could pinpoint the exact moment Remus’s mind was taken over by the werewolf. The eyes boring into hers were no longer his, the look in them something much more feral than the gentleness she’d grown to associate with him. His body shook and a roar tore out of his throat. No matter how bad she wanted to do something to help him, she knew he’d tell her to run as fast as she could. She needed her wand back, now.  
  
The ropes binding her hands to her sides and her legs together were too tight to escape from, but she was able to bend down and jump on Pete’s toes. The man screamed and staggered away from her, rubbing his sore foot, while she fell down in the ground, hitting her side. Luckily both Umbridge and Dawlish were too preoccupied with Remus to take much notice of her.  
  
“Kill it, Dawlish!” yelled Umbridge, backing away from Remus as fast as she could, her wand pointed at him.  
  
“That would be my pleasure! Come on, Pete, let’s get that beast!” he bellowed, striding forward. She had to get her wand fast if she wanted to save Remus.  
  
Instead of joining Dawlish, Pete just stared at the porch with a fearful look on his face, and then suddenly he disappeared, leaving behind a pile of clothes. A rat emerged from the pile and scurried into the forest. The form Pete had taken made her heart speed up. Was Pete actually Peter Pettigrew? She decided to make sense of things later and focus on getting to her wand.  
  
At the same time, Sirius jumped out of the bushes, tackling Dawlish and buying her more time.  
Umbridge screamed when a plate smashed into her chest. When Tonks looked into the direction the projectile had come from, she saw Molly, Arthur and their kids behind the now open living room windows. They were fighting back. Another plate shot out, this time landing on Umbridge’s head, eliciting another scream from her. She pointed her wand at the house, but the various dishes flying in the air made it too difficult for her to aim properly, and she kept on missing.  
  
Using the chaos to her advantage and trusting the others to keep Umbridge occupied, Tonks crawled to the pile of clothes left behind by Pete and began sifting through them with her legs. By the time she was finally able to locate her wand and release herself from the ropes, Sirius, Remus, and Dawlish had all disappeared.  
  
Before she had time to guess which direction they’d taken, she heard a feral roar. Remus. Following the sound as fast as she could, she staggered through the trees until she spotted Remus and Dawlish.  
  
"Avada-" he started.  
  
"Stupefy!" she yelled, countering the Unforgivable.  
  
Please, let Remus still be alive... Dawlish was out cold on the ground after having hit his head on a rock, and she had enough sense to tie him up before attending to Remus. Or the creature that was currently in possession of his body.  
  
The wolf was bleeding from its muzzle and side, and its breathing was uneven. A branch was sticking out from its right side. She knew she'd have to get it out or he'd die. Werewolves were dangerous, but she had no time to hesitate.  
  
She leaned over him and placed the tip of her wand on the branch. It would have to be done quickly so she'd have time to stop the bleeding. Tonks murmured the spell and watched the branch disappear, leaving a gaping wound in its place. She gasped at the size of the injury but immediately cast another spell to fix his bleeding vessels.  
  
Unfortunately she was no Mediwitch, but there was no way she could just take him to St. Mungo's. He would need to survive until the morning at least in order for that to happen. Now all she could do was hope. Laying her hand on the wolf's side, she waited. His breathing was still shallow, and she swore her own heart stopped beating for a second when the wolf missed a breath. It was still dying, which meant Remus was dying too.  
  
Tears sprung to her eyes; she was going to lose Remus because he'd left the house to save her. She should’ve been more careful while confronting Umbridge, he’d even warned her that it could be a trap. If she’d controlled herself better, maybe they wouldn’t have gotten her and Remus would be safely in the basement.  
  
"You can't die... Remus, please... I love you, and I want you to hear me say it," she confessed, her tears falling on the wolf's fur coat.  
  
Burying her face into the wolf's side, she let herself mourn for the love that she may have lost, the man who might never know how she felt about him.  
  
"Tonks, what are you doing? Get away!" She turned her head toward the unknown voice and saw a lanky man with shaggy black hair.  
  
"Who are-"  
  
"Don't recognise me when I'm not a dog, do you?" replied the man, a hint of amusement leaking into his tone.  
  
"Sirius?" If Sirius was human again, it had to mean that the curse was finally broken. _But how?_  
  
"Yes, it's me, and now please, for all our sakes, step away from the werewolf. Remus is not flying that broom right now."  
  
Before she could move, the wolf's eyes opened for the first time since she'd arrived at his side, and he released a low whine.  
  
"It's all right. I'm trying to help you," she murmured, hoping her voice was calming enough. If she ran, the wolf would surely follow and tear the wounds open. There might not be a way to save Remus if that happened.  
  
"Tonks, now! Go back to the house, I’ll take care of this!" yelled Sirius, and within seconds he was a dog once more. She stood up and took a few slow steps back, hoping it wasn't enough for the wolf to see her as prey.  
  
Sirius landed on the wolf just as he made an attempt to get up. Tonks took this as a cue to turn around and run.  
  
As she neared the house, her steps slowed down, and she felt exhaustion seeping into her limbs. She was out of danger, at least for now. To her surprise, the front of the house was full of people she’d never seen before in her life, but Dolores Umbridge was nowhere to be seen.  
  
“Tonks, dear, you did it! Come here!” called a short, red-haired woman, pulling her into a tight embrace. It took her a few seconds to place the familiar-sounding voice.  
  
“Molly,” she gasped.  
  
“Yes, it’s me! I don’t think we’ll ever be able to thank you, but we’ll do our best. Come and meet everyone.”  
  
She was hugged by the rest of the Weasley family as well as Fleur, who was so beautiful as a human that Tonks felt slightly embarrassed of having had to dress before her. Their joy was genuine but overwhelming for her, especially since she didn’t even know yet if Remus would survive. She kept on stealing glances at the forest, expecting Remus and Sirius to emerge, but instead of them she spied a group of three people, including one who was being practically dragged between her mentor and a senior colleague.  
  
“Mad-Eye! Kingsley!” she exclaimed, jogging to meet the strange group.  
  
“Evening, Tonks, glad to see you’re in one piece,” greeted Kingsley.  
  
“What are you two doing here? How did you know?” she asked, finally taking notice that the man Mad-Eye and Kingsley had a death grip on was Pete.  
  
  
“Long story, Tonks. I’ve been tracking Dawlish’s activities for the last week, and tonight I spoke to your father and then to someone else. After that it was just about putting all the pieces together and taking action,” explained Mad-Eye hastily, giving her a look that told her she’d be in the receiving end of another one of his lectures in the near future.  
  
“But what’s more important is that this bloke right here is Peter Pettigrew. We’ve all thought him dead for the last 13 years, but turns out he’s been keeping a close eye on the Ministry through Dawlish. The last time anyone had seen a photo of him was more than a decade ago, and why would the Ministry insist on showing people photographs of dead people? Smart weasel, this one right here, but not as smart as he should’ve been,” muttered Mad-Eye, poking Peter’s side with his wand.  
  
“Tonks, my dear girl, please tell them they’ve mistaken,” prayed Peter, giving her a look that she supposed could have passed for pathetic and innocent to some people. Not to her. After hearing the stories of Peter’s deception, she had no empathy left for the man.  
  
“You’re the reason Sirius went to Azkaban, and then you tried to put my father there. It’s you who should be in Azkaban,” she replied coolly.  
  
“We need to go now, Tonks, but I expect to see you back at work on Monday!” said Mad-Eye before Disapparating along with Kingsley and Peter.  
  
“He does indeed deserve to go to Azkaban, and he will go there after a fair trial,” boomed another familiar voice from the shadow of the forest.   
  
Beside Dawlish’s unconscious form stood her former Headmaster, probably the most formidable wizard of her time.  
  
“Headmaster Dumbledore,” she greeted.  
  
“Evening, Nymphadora. Alastor alerted me to the events and I got here just in time to assist in capturing Peter and your colleague here.”  
  
“What about Umbridge, Headmaster? I think she cursed Remus and the others.”  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  
  
“I am aware of that, and she has already been taken away. She was uninjured but quite angry when some of your colleagues removed her from the premises. She will be punished accordingly; I will testify against her myself if I have to.”  
  
“Good. What about him, then?” she asked, motioning to Dawlish.  
  
“He tried to use an Unforgivable on Remus.”  
  
“You are referring to Mr. Lupin’s werewolf form?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
“If Dolores Umbridge was still in charge, he would be released. However, her removal from office will make Mr. Dawlish’s life more difficult.”  
  
“But he might not be punished?”  
  
“He might not go to Azkaban, if that is what you’re asking. Yes, he attempted to cast an Unforgivable Curse, but he was also facing a Dark Creature. He will certainly insist it was self-defense.”  
  
“I’d rather not be an Auror anymore, if that means working with someone like him. He’s a criminal.”  
  
Dumbledore smiled at her kindly.  
  
“You are a good person, Ms. Tonks. You are the kind of an Auror the Ministry desperately needs. If all the good people in the Auror Department decide to leave, what will be left? The ones like Dawlish here, I’m afraid.”  
  
“How am I supposed to pretend that I trust him?”  
  
“This may not be the best time to discuss this, but dark times lay ahead of us. Your considerable skills will be needed in order for our world to survive. Staying with the Ministry and gathering more experience is the best course of action, if I may give a piece of advice.”  
  
“I’m sorry, but what are you talking about, Headmaster? Dark times?”  
  
Dumbledore hesitated.  
  
“I have reason to suspect that Voldemort and his ideology may not be as dead as we would like them to be. But do not concern yourself with that tonight. The feat your achieved was extraordinary. You proved that everything Dolores Umbridge believes in is untrue, and you broke a powerful curse.”  
  
“I still don’t fully understand what exactly broke it.”  
  
“Love. It sounds clichéd, but it was love. You love a person whom he himself, as well as Dolores Umbridge, truly believes to be unlovable. She believed that once time ran out, she would have forever rid herself of Mr. Lupin and the others. You were an unforeseen variable in this equation, as far as she is concerned.”  
  
 _Love? She had broken the curse when she’d told Remus that she loved him._ She almost felt like laughing. It had been that simple. Now if only she’d told him about her feelings earlier, and maybe Remus would not be mortally injured.  
  
“But why did she curse them in the first place?”  
  
Dumbledore sighed.  
  
“She was hell-bent on finding Sirius and believed that his old friend would be helping him. She also knew that both Remus and the Weasley family were allied with me. It was an enticing opportunity to leave both Sirius as well as me with fewer allies.”  
  
“How come nobody’s missed them?”  
  
“Umbridge made sure all the Weasleys’ relatives and friends believed they’d moved abroad after Arthur had been offered a job. And I believe all inquiries that were made to the Ministry were quickly erased from official documents and the people who made them found themselves Obliviated.”  
  
“What about Remus, hasn’t anyone asked after him?”  
  
“He’s always lived a rather solitary life.”  
  
She tried to suppress the sob that threatened to escape her throat. He really had nobody, outside of his friends.  
  
“He’s dying… I – I did my best to help with the wounds, but I’m not sure…” she confessed, allowing herself to think about the possibility of losing him for the first time since she’d left him with Sirius.  
  
“Yes, I saw him with Sirius in the forest. I don’t believe there is much any of us can do at this stage.”  
  
“Can’t you try to help him?”  
  
“Werewolves are another species entirely. There is little we can do for them medically until they transform back into human form. If his body is strong enough, he will make it through. I suggest you go inside and let Mrs. Weasley make you a warm cup of tea. I will be back in the morning, but until then, have faith. Love is the strongest magic in this world, and Mr. Lupin knows he is not finished here.”  
  
As Dumbledore prepared to Disapparate with Dawlish, she realise there was still one thing she needed to know.  
  
"Do you know if my dad's okay?"  
  
"Yes, you'll find him at home. He's shaken up and concerned for your safety, but unharmed."  
  
She sighed in relief. She would have to see him as soon as she could, but not until she could be certain that Remus was going recover.  
  
"Thank you," she replied quietly.  
  
Dumbledore’s hand squeezed her shoulder gently before he grabbed a hold of Dawlish’s arm and Disapparated.  
  


***

  
  
Sirius levitated the unconscious and bound wolf into the house an hour later when Tonks had just managed to convince Molly that she did not need or want another cup of tea and pushed away a plateful of biscuits.  
  
“Put him in the bedroom!” she urged Sirius, toppling over a chair as she tried to stand up.  
  
“Yes, my lady,” grunted Sirius.  
  
Rushing into Remus’s room at Sirius’s coattails, she pulled the covers aside and allowed Sirius to lay him on the bed.  
  
“He’s still alive, isn’t he?” she asked, needing confirmation.  
  
Sirius nodded.  
  
“He’s as stubborn as they come, Tonks. He’ll make it through this. It took a while until I got him to calm down after you left, but I don’t think he tore anything open.”  
  
Tonks stayed awake by Remus’s side until dawn arrived and he transformed back. After gently removing the ropes on his wrists and ankles, she cleaned and bandaged the wound on his side. He felt feverish, but only slightly so. Taking his hand into hers, she lay down next to him. It wasn’t her intention to fall asleep, but before she had much time to think about anything, her body made the decision for her.  
  


***

  
  
Remus woke up to a stabbing pain in his right side, surprised he wasn’t dead yet. Turning his head, he saw Tonks curled up on the bed beside him, her fingers holding onto his gently. _Oh Merlin, Tonks._ She could have died trying to save him, _he_ could have killed her. Just then, her eyes fluttered open.  
  
"Wotcher," she whispered.  
  
"Hello."  
  
"How are you feeling?" she asked.  
  
"Like I've been trampled by a dozen Hippogriffs, but I'll live," he replied, hoping to cast away the look of worry on her face.  
  
"Good. I was worried there for a while."  
  
"You broke the curse."  
  
"Yeah... Accidentally."  
  
"In any case, thank you. Sirius and the others are free now, because of you."  
  
"What about us?"  
  
Of course she would go straight to the point.This must be done, he told himself, but somehow knowing that didn’t make it any easier.  
  
"There is no us, Tonks. I used you to break the curse, and I'm sorry for doing that, but that's all there ever was to it."  
  
"You're lying," she replied. He could hear that her voice was close to breaking, and it made him wish he could take it back.  
  
"No, I'm not. I think it'd be for the best if you went home now, I'm sure your father would like to see you."  
  
She scoffed as he turned away from her but soon felt her shift and stand up. In mere seconds the door closed quietly behind her and just like that she was out of his life for good. He took several steadying breaths, hoping the hand squeezing his heart would relinquish its hold soon.  
  
Before he'd even had time to accept the new reality, the door slammed shut.  
  
"What did you say to her?" hissed Sirius.  
  
"What was for the best."  
  
"You are so full of it sometimes, Moony. She was the best thing to ever happen to you, and I'm not saying this just because she's my cousin."  
  
"She doesn't deserve to be tied down to me, Sirius."  
  
"Isn't that for her to decide?"  
  
"It's up to me to be the realist in this case."  
  
The eye roll he received from his old friend was eerily similar to the one his cousin had given him several times.  
  
"Whatever, Remus, but I know you'll regret doing this."  
  


***

  
  
Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. The air grew cold and then warmed again. Remus did not notice most of this, as he spent most of his time working various low-paid jobs. He took as many shifts as he could, only resting when his transformations wouldn’t allow him to function normally. Sirius had grown concerned after a few months and kept on insisting he should contact Tonks. He had even gone as far as threatening to invite her over for dinner, but Remus had replied that in that case he wouldn’t be in attendance. He knew Sirius had been out with Tonks though and that she had asked about him.  
  
His old friend was now having the time of his life and would often try to coax him to join him in some pub, insisting that a good night out was what he needed. Finding work in London was easier than it would have been in the country, so he had settled into one of Sirius's guest bedrooms. Although not having to pay rent was certainly a benefit, Remus also knew that Sirius needed the company, as without him he only had an old house elf and his mother’s insane portrait to talk to.  
  
A few times Remus had waited around the Ministry's entrance, hoping to perhaps catch a single glimpse of Tonks but had chickened out before she'd shown up. Watching her like this was wrong and would do no good to anyone. He had to move on.  
  
Molly and Arthur had invited him over to dinner, but he had declined out of fear that Tonks would be there as well. He must have been quite transparent, as Molly had gently told him that Tonks still missed him and that she was still available. His feelings for her had refused to fade despite the time and distance between them. He should not hope that she still felt the same way about him, but a part of him reveled in the pieces of information he’d been given. The odds had never been in his favour, but it seemed that despite the probabilities, there was a woman out there who loved him.  
  
Christmas was approaching again, and after a few shots of Firewhiskey at the Leaky Cauldron he found himself wondering if he ought to talk to her after all. It had been nearly 15 months since he'd last seen her, but the memories of her and their brief time together wouldn't leave him alone.  
  
If she rejected him, it would be easier to get over her... Or that was what he told himself right before finally knocking on her father's door on Christmas Eve. Of course, she might not even be there, but he didn't have her address in London.  
  
"Hello!" greeted the familiar older man at the door, giving Remus an appraising glance. _Yes, this was definitely her father._  
  
"Hello. I'm sorry for intruding, but I would like to speak with your daughter."  
  
Ted blinked.  
  
"You're Remus, aren't you?"  
  
"Errr... Yes."  
  
"Well, better late than never! Come on in, son, I'll let Dora know you're here."  
  
He stepped into the foyer, uncertain if he should bother to remove his cloak. Raising his head to face the sound of steps from the stairs, he saw her. Tonight her hair was a lovely, deep chocolate brown and tied in a loose ponytail, and her yellow-gold dress robes glimmered in the light. Her dark eyes were fixed on him, but the expression on her face was unreadable.  
  
He swallowed nervously. She had a right to be angry, he reminded himself. _The things he’d said to her to drive her away…_  
  
"I've been worried about you," she said quietly, at last reaching the last step.  
  
She stopped, her hands reaching out to grasp the bannister, as if she would fall without the support.  
  
"I've managed," he replied softly.  
  
"Not well, I can see that for myself. You need to eat more."  
  
"You sound like Molly."  
  
"What are you doing here? It's been-"  
  
"12 months, two weeks and three days."  
  
"Yeah. Wasn’t sure if you’d counted," she answered, her voice suddenly more quiet.  
  
He shrugged, trying to appear more nonchalant than he felt.  
  
"I-I wanted to see how you were doing."  
  
"Is that all?"  
  
He hesitated. This was his last chance to back down.  
  
"I did also want to know if you still... If you still had feelings for me."  
  
 _There, the cat was out of the bag now. He'd said it._  
  
"That was a long time ago," she replied.  
  
"I know. I understand that I'm coming too late, but-"  
  
"Don't interrupt me, Remus Lupin! Yes, it's been a long time, but I've been hoping you'd show up every single day." He gasped.  
  
Tentatively, he placed a hand on hers on the bannister. He itched to pull her into his arms.  
  
"Is that what you were hoping for tonight as well?"  
  
"Yes," she breathed.  
  
"Then you should know that despite my best efforts to let you be with someone who can offer you more than I'll ever be able to, I haven't been able to forget you. You changed me, Dora, and if you were still willing to give us a chance, I’d be the luckiest man alive."  
  
She smiled at his use of her pet name.  
  
"This is probably the best Christmas present I've ever got," she admitted.  
  
"Really? An old, bitter werewolf?"  
  
"Don't you ever dare try to make decisions for me again, Remus."  
  
"I can't help wanting to protect you. Even if it is from me."  
  
"And why exactly would that be?" she asked. He knew what she wanted- no- needed, to hear.  
  
"Because I love you."  
  


_FIN._


End file.
